Tearful farewell for swimmer

Press, 27 September 1988, Page 25

Tearful farewell for swimmer

NZPA-Reuten Seoul Mary Meagher, one of the greatest butterfly swimmers of all time, ended her career with an Olympic 200 metres bronze and tears of regret on Sunday. Meagher, the triple Olympic gold medallist in ; Los Angeles and still holder of the 100 and 200 i metres butterfly world re- , cords after seven years, i said at the age of 23: “Perhaps I am past my prime.” Sobbing and tearfully clutching her United < States team-mates for sup- : port, she said: “Well, I 1 certainly didn’t want to end my career this way. 1 On the other hand I gave !

it everything I could and that is all anyone can do.” Meagher, who has swum the 10 fastest times in the 200 metres butterfly, swallowed hard and had difficulty finishing her sentences when reflecting on the end of a star-studded career. “I shall take off my swim suit very slowly and decide what outfit to put on next,” she said after finishing third behind the East Germans Kathleen Nord and Birte Weigang. “I have a degree in child care but I might do something else like marketing or public relations work before going back to work with children,” she said.